Patterns and Puffed Sleeves - Celebrating Costume Design through Anne of Green Gables

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of L.M. Montgomery's birth, The Toronto Reference Library is presenting a special exhibit called "Patterns and Puffed Sleeves – Celebrating Costume Design through Anne of Green Gables."

The exhibit highlights costume designs from four screen and stage productions of L.M. Montgomery's most famous story Anne of Green Gables. Designs are featured from Sullivan Entertainment’s Anne of Green Gables (1985) and Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel (1987). Costume designs are also displayed from the 1994 production of Anne of Green Gables by Theatre Calgary and the 1974 production of The Charlottetown Festival’s Anne of Green Gables: The Musical. The exhibit features the work of award-winning costume designers Martha Mann and Marie Day. Along with viewing their hand-drawn designs, visitors can view the final costumes themselves, as well as photographs and memorabilia from the productions.


Here is the description of the exhibit from the Toronto Public Library:

Celebrating the 150th anniversary of the birth of Lucy Maud Montgomery!

Lucy Maud Montgomery is an iconic Canadian author whose works are popular world-wide. In celebration of the anniversary of her birth we are exploring one of her most notable pieces of literature — Anne of Green Gables.

This exhibition features original costume designs, from both stage and screen, by designers Martha Mann and Marie Day from TPL's Special Collections in the Arts. These designs were used in Sullivan Entertainment’s Emmy award-winning Anne of Green Gables series, Theatre Calgary’s 1994 production and Charlottetown Festival’s long-running Anne of Green Gables musical.

Explore the world of Anne of Green Gables through the lens of a costume designer! See how they use fashion to bring the story to theatrical life!

Do not miss out seeing actual garments from the 1985 Sullivan Entertainment production of Anne of Green Gables in the entrance window to the Toronto Reference Library.

Special thanks

Sullivan Entertainment Inc. for sponsoring the exhibit through loans of costumes and photographs from their productions of Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel.

Theatre Calgary for providing a program and images of their 1994 production of Anne of Green Gables.

The "Patterns and Puffed Sleeves" exhibit opened on October 5, 2024 and will continue through January 12, 2025. It is located in the TD Gallery at The Toronto Reference Library on 789 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4W 2G8. Entry to the exhibit is free, and free guided tours will take place on Tuesdays at 3:00 p.m. during the exhibit's run.


Official Website:
Patterns and Puffed Sleeves - Celebrating Costume Design through Anne of Green Gables Exhibit at The Toronto Reference Library

Image Credit:
Images from Patterns and Puffed Sleeves - Celebrating Costume Design through Anne of Green Gables Exhibit at The Toronto Reference Library.

Reference:
Patterns and Puffed Sleeves: Celebrating Costume Design through Anne of Green Gables. (2024, October). Toronto Public Library. Retrieved from: https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/programs-and-classes/exhibits/patterns-and-puffed-sleeves.jsp.

Created October 7, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Why People Still Love Anne of Green Gables on The Current Podcast

On September 3, The Current with Matt Galloway on CBC Radio released a podcast episode with a segment on "Why People Still Love Anne of Green Gables." The episode's synopsis reads: "This year would have been the 150th birthday of Lucy Maud Montgomery, the famed P.E.I. author of Anne of Green Gables. We talk to some islanders and 'Anne fangirls' who are excited to celebrate both the author and her creations."

On his visit to Prince Edward Island, Galloway interviews Judith Graves and Linda Lowther. Judith Graves compiled and edited The Annethology, a collection of short stories inspired by Anne of Green Gables. Linda Lowther is on the committee responsible for Anne of Green Gables tourism in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, and she helped create The Inspiring World of L.M. Montgomery: A Literary Tour.

The interview covers a variety of topics relating to why Anne of Green Gables is timeless and why they love Anne. They also discuss adaptations of the story on screen and the economic importance of Anne of Green Gables-related tourism on Prince Edward Island. Lowther talks about The Literary Tour and things people might not know about L.M. Montgomery, such as her love of photography, scrapbooking, fashion, and nature. Graves discusses the concept behind The Annethology and the inventive short stories in the volume that take Anne on new journeys. This leads to a conversation about "Anne purists," "woke Anne" and "Anne fatigue."

It's a fun interview. Give it a listen!

Websites:
The Current with Matt Galloway on YouTube
The Current with Matt Galloway podcast at CBC

Image Credit:
Screencapture of The Current Podcast on YouTube.

Created October 4, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

After Anne: A Novel of Lucy Maud Montgomery's Life

After Anne: A Novel of Lucy Maud Montgomery's Life by Logan Steiner was published in May 2023 by William Morrow Paperbacks, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. In her debut novel, Steiner tells L.M. Montgomery's story through the use of historical fiction to depict Montgomery's aspirations, creative life, and personal struggles.

Here is the description of the book from HarperCollins Publishers:

USA TODAY BESTSELLER

A stunning and unexpected portrait of Lucy Maud Montgomery, creator of one of literature’s most prized heroines, whose personal demons were at odds with her most enduring legacy—the irrepressible Anne of Green Gables.

“Dear old world,” she murmured, “you are very lovely, and I am glad to be alive in you.” —L. M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables, 1908

As a young woman, Maud had dreams bigger than the whole of Prince Edward Island. Her exuberant spirit had always drawn frowns from her grandmother and their neighbors, but she knew she was meant to create, to capture and share the way she saw the world. And the young girl in Maud’s mind became more and more persistent: Here is my story, she said. Here is how my name should be spelled—Anne with an “e.”

But the day Maud writes the first lines of Anne of Green Gables, she gets a visit from the handsome new minister in town, and soon faces a decision: forge her own path as a spinster authoress, or live as a rural minister’s wife, an existence she once called "a synonym for respectable slavery." The choice she makes alters the course of her life.

With a husband whose religious mania threatens their health and happiness at every turn, the secret darkness that Maud herself holds inside threatens to break through the persona she shows to the world, driving an ever-widening wedge between her public face and private self, and putting her on a path towards a heartbreaking end.

Beautiful and moving, After Anne reveals Maud’s hidden personal challenges while celebrating what was timeless about her life and art—the importance of tenacity and the peaceful refuge found in imagination.

Reviews

"In this outstanding debut, Logan Steiner delivers a moving, richly detailed and nuanced portrayal of a deeply fascinating woman. Steiner, with a loving hand, lifts the veil of L.M. Montgomery to give us a glimpse of Maud, her strength, her struggles, her quiet courage navigating life as both an ambitious author and a loving friend, wife and mother. Steiner’s extensive research is evident not only in the facts but in the complex emotional tapestry she weaves. Anne of Green Gables fans will sure to delight in this book, but so will any fans of interesting, complicated and clever women."
— Brianna Labuskes, author of The Librarian of Burned Books

"An exquisite tribute to Lucy Maud Montgomery, the revered author who gave us so much scope for imagination. After Anne is for fans who long to know the woman behind Anne Shirley's story. Get ready, this book will break your heart in the most splendid ways."
— Sarah McCoy, New York Times and internationally bestselling author of Marilla of Green Gables

Image credit:
Book cover of After Anne: A Novel of Lucy Maud Montgomery's Life.

Purchase and read After Anne: A Novel of Lucy Maud Montgomery's Life:


Created October 4, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Discover Montgomery's Prince Edward Island

Over the summer, I received a PEI Visitor's Guide from Tourism PEI. Inside the package was a pamphlet called "Discover Montgomery's Prince Edward Island" with information on L.M. Montgomery and her writings and a map marked with locations for visitors to experience places important to her.

Here are photographs of the pamphlet. One side has a nice biography of L.M. Montgomery.





The reverse side of the pamphlet features a map marked with 18 locations and activities for visitors.



The locations and activities include:

1. Montgomery Park
2. L.M. Montgomery Birthplace
3. Lower Bedeque School
4. Montgomery Inn at Ingleside
5. The Sir Andrew Macphail Homestead
6. Bideford Parsonage Museum
7. The Site of L.M. Montgomery's Cavendish Home
8. The Kensington Train Station
9. The Cavendish United Church
10. The Cavendish Cemetery
11. Green Gables Heritage Place
12. Anne of Green Gables Museum
13. L.M.M. Institute at UPEI
14. Shop and Play
15. Anne of Green Gables, The Musical
16. Avonlea Village
17. Anne and Gilbert, The Musical
18. The Anne of Green Gables Store

It is a helpful guide to discover places important to L.M. Montgomery in celebration of her 150th birthday this year.


Official Website:
Tourism Prince Edward Island

Image Credit:
Photographs of "Discovering Montgomery's Prince Edward Island" Tourism PEI pamphlet taken by World of Anne Shirley.

Created October 3, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Stratford Festival Commissions a New Play Based on Anne of Green Gables

Last month, the internationally acclaimed Stratford Festival announced that they are developing a new play based on Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. The new adaptation is by playwright Kat Sandler, who will also direct the production. The play will premiere at the Avon Theatre as part of the Festival's 2025 season.

Founded in 1953, the Stratford Festival is a theatre festival that runs from April to October each year in Stratford, Ontario, Canada. The Festival is renowned for its productions of Shakespeare's plays, and it also presents a variety of other plays and musicals. The Festival has featured many talented actors over the years, including several who starred in adaptations of L.M. Montgomery works, including Megan Follows, Jonathan Crombie, Jackie Burroughs, Sarah Polley, and Charmion King.

The new Anne of Green Gables play is a Stratford Festival commission sponsored by The Schulich Foundation. The Stratford Festival's website describes the play as follows:

"Is there a Canadian title with more global recognition than Anne of Green Gables? More than 56 million copies have been sold, and it has been translated into 30 languages.

Anne of Green Gables by Kat Sandler is a bold adaptation of Lucy Maud Montgomery's timeless tale of imagination, resilience and the transformative power of love. Set in the picturesque village of Avonlea, it follows the adventures of Anne Shirley, an irrepressible orphan with a vivid imagination and an unyielding spirit.

Sandler, who will also direct, is known for her deeply funny yet poignant plays and has written and directed extensively across Canada. She has enormous affection and respect for this story and wants to bring it vibrantly to life for another generation. The story of an outsider, an orphan, who finds happiness and wins the hearts not only of her adoptive family but of her doubting community is a story for the ages."

In a recent CBC News interview with Kat Sandler and Keith Barker (the Stratford Festival's director of new play development), the pair talk about reintroducing Anne Shirley's timeless story to a new generation of viewers. Barker states that they aim to be true to the novel, which he says, "reads beautifully" and "it's accessible, it's funny, it's smart." Sandler comments on the story's timeless themes saying, "Love, belonging, chosen family, community, loss, class — like, these are really big, big themes with high stakes." Sandler hopes that her adaptation reflects these themes.


Official Website:
Stratford Festival

Image Credit:
Screencapture of part of the Stratford Festival's 2025 Playbill featuring Anne of Green Gables.

References:
How the Stratford Festival wants to reimagine 'Canadian epic' Anne of Green Gables for a new era. (2024, September 8). CBC News. Retrieved from: https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.6502563.

Ryan, Carolyn. (2024, September 8). Renowned Stratford Festival commissions new Anne of Green Gables play. CBC News. Retrieved from: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-anne-of-green-gables-stratford-festival-1.7313342.

Created October 1, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers

"I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers."
-L.M. Montgomery
Anne of Green Gables

Read more quotes by L.M. Montgomery.

Image credit:
Photograph by World of Anne Shirley.

Purchase and read Anne of Green Gables:



Created October 1, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Rare Anne of Green Gables Book at the Empire State Rare Book and Print Fair

The Empire State Rare Book and Print Fair is taking place this weekend at the City College of New York in New York City. The fair opened yesterday (September 27, 2024), and will continue through September 29th.

Among the many rare items offered is a first printing of Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery in one of five surviving jackets from 1909 or earlier. The book is valued at $40,000.

What a special treasure for a book collector.


Location:
The Great Hall, Shepard Hall,
City College of New York,
160 Convent Ave,
New York, NY 10031

Official Website:
Fine Book Fairs

Image Credit:
Photograph of select books featured at the The Empire State Rare Book and Print Fair from Fine Books & Collections.

Reference:
Empire State Rare Book & Print Fair Opens Today. (2024, September 27). Fine Books & Collections. Retrieved from: https://www.finebooksmagazine.com/fine-books-news/empire-state-rare-book-print-fair-opens-today.

Created September 28, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Support an Anne of Green Gables Product Idea at LEGO IDEAS

Today, I read a post by CivEng_NY on Reddit about a wonderful LEGO IDEAS project. Iyan Ha has proposed and designed an intricate Anne of Green Gables LEGO set. It has exceptional detail, and the design involves 2,935 bricks and has 5 minifigures.

This product idea has a chance of becoming a real LEGO set, but only if it has 10,000 supporters. After it reaches this goal, the idea will undergo an expert review by LEGO before the project is approved for production. This morning, Iyan Ha's Anne of Green Gables project idea had 1,366 supporters.

I signed up to support the project, and you can too. Let's help make this idea a reality!

Visit the Anne of Green Gables project page at LEGO IDEAS to sign up as a supporter.

Here are a few additional images of the project. Iyan Ha studied many references to design the Green Gables house. The model allows you to act out scenes from the novel both outside and inside Green Gables. In the scene below, Matthew Cuthbert brings Anne Shirley to Green Gables by carriage and Marilla meets them at the door. The model has such lovely details like the blooming Snow Queen.



Here, Anne Shirley accidentally serves her bosom friend Diana Barry currant wine instead of raspberry cordial, and Diana gets drunk. Oops. I love the expression on Diana's face.



Here is an image of the 5 minifigures: Matthew Cuthbert, Marilla Cuthbert, Anne Shirley, Gilbert Blythe, and Diana Barry. Anne is breaking her slate over Gilbert's head, while Diana looks on in dismay.



I've highlighted a handful of the images of Iyan Ha's project. You can view all 15 images at LEGO IDEAS, and sign up to support the project.

Official Website:
Anne of Green Gables Product Idea at LEGO IDEAS by Iyan Ha

Image Credits:
Images of the Anne of Green Gables Product Idea by Iyan Ha at LEGO IDEAS.


Created September 25, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com